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Tom Howell Jr.

Tom Howell Jr.

Tom Howell Jr. covers politics and the White House for The Washington Times. He can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.

Articles by Tom Howell Jr.

In this Monday, July 27, 2020, file photo, a nurse prepares a shot as a study of a possible COVID-19 vaccine, developed by the National Institutes of Health and Moderna Inc., gets underway in Binghamton, N.Y. On Sept. 18, President Trump said he expects some 100 million doses of a coronavirus vaccine could be distributed by the year's end. (AP Photo/Hans Pennink) **FILE**

Moderna targets November to know coronavirus vaccine’s effectiveness

Drugmaker Moderna will probably know by November whether its vaccine is effective against the coronavirus, describing its human trial in detail Thursday to gain public trust while the White House defended its speedy timeline for inoculating the country. Published September 17, 2020

In this May 1, 2018, file photo, former Donald Trump campaign official Michael Caputo, left, joined by his attorney Dennis C. Vacco, leaves after being interviewed by Senate Intelligence Committee staff investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

Michael Caputo, embattled HHS aide, to depart for 60 days

The Trump administration on Wednesday said Michael Caputo, an assistant secretary at the Department of Health and Human Services, will take a 60-day leave of absence in the wake of twin controversies that erupted over the weekend. Published September 16, 2020

Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden speaks with reporters before boarding a plane at Tampa International Airport in Tampa, Fla., Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2020. Biden is en route to Kissimmee, Fla., for a campaign event. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Joe Biden to drop $65 million on ads this week with focus on health care

Democratic presidential nominee Joseph R. Biden on Wednesday unleashed a new $65 million ad blitz that hones in on President Trump's efforts to repeal Obamacare, following the lead of down-ballot Democrats who are prioritizing the health-care law in their ads and pitches to voters. Published September 16, 2020

Workers lay sod on the South Lawn of the White House, Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2020, in Washington. The White House South Lawn and its iconic Rose Garden are undergoing extensive re-sodding and other work after last month’s Republican National Convention turned them into a muddy mess. Crews have been working to repair damage to the public grounds, including browning of the South Lawn and mud patches in the Rose Garden, after the spaces were used as backdrops for President Donald Trump’s convention events. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Trump admin. removes tariff on Canadian aluminum

The Trump administration said Tuesday it will no longer slap a 10% tariff on Canadian aluminum but reserves the right to reimpose the levy if imports surge above anticipated levels. Published September 15, 2020

In this May 1, 2018, file photo, former Donald Trump campaign official Michael Caputo, left, joined by his attorney Dennis C. Vacco, leaves after being interviewed by Senate Intelligence Committee staff investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

Reports: Embattled HHS aide considering medical leave

A top aide at the Department of Health and Human Services is reportedly considering medical leave after becoming embroiled in controversies that involve political influence over scientific reports and bizarre comments on Facebook Live. Published September 15, 2020

A child plays near a sign advising people that the playground is closed and social distancing is requirements Thursday, April 9, 2020, in Rutledge, Ga. The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people, but for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death. (AP Photo/John Bazemore) **FILE**

CDC: 121 people under 21 died of COVID-19 through July

The U.S. recorded 121 coronavirus deaths among those under 21 years old and many of them were minorities, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Tuesday in a report that indicates young people aren't immune to COVID-19 but represented a tiny fraction of fatal cases during the first half of the year. Published September 15, 2020

Senate Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer of N.Y., left, with Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., speaks during a news conference, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2020, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) **FILE**

Charles Schumer calls on HHS Secretary Azar to resign over COVID-19

Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer called on Health Secretary Alex Azar to resign Tuesday over charges that President Trump's political desires are overriding scientific reason at the Department of Health and Human Services. Published September 15, 2020

In this March 31, 2020, file photo President Donald Trump speaks about the coronavirus in the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, as Vice President Mike Pence and Dr. Deborah Birx, White House coronavirus response coordinator, listen. Trump acknowledged that from early on he was intentionally “playing down” the threat from the coronavirus outbreak that has gone on to kill more than 190,000 Americans. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

Trump coronavirus optimism rebuffed by health experts fears

President Trump says America is turning the corner on the coronavirus and will defeat it "very easily" with a vaccine but public health experts are worried about a cold-weather spike in the meantime, posing a key test of whether Americans can buckle down for a few more months. Published September 14, 2020

President Donald Trump awards the Medal of Honor to Army Sgt. Maj. Thomas P. Payne in the East Room of the White House on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Trump awards Medal of Honor to Sgt. Maj. Thomas Payne

President Trump awarded Army Sgt. Maj. Thomas P. Payne the nation's highest military honor Friday for his bravery in facing a "blistering hail of gunfire" and actual flames during a hostage-rescue mission in Iraq five years ago, at one point exchanging his rifle for bolt cutters to free prisoners while enemy bullets pinged the walls around him. Published September 11, 2020

In this July 27, 2020, file photo, Nurse Kathe Olmstead, right, gives volunteer Melissa Harting, of Harpersville, N.Y., an injection as a study of a possible COVID-19 vaccine, developed by the National Institutes of Health and Moderna Inc., gets underway in Binghamton, N.Y. A letter from federal health officials instructing states to be ready to begin distributing a vaccine by Nov. 1 — two days before the election — has met, not with exhilaration, but with suspicion among public health experts and others. (AP Photo/Hans Pennink, File)

Americans fear coronavirus vaccine will be based on politics over safety

Most Americans worry that political pressure will force the Food and Drug Administration to approve a coronavirus vaccine before ensuring its safety, and more than half say they wouldn't want a vaccine that is approved and available before Election Day, according to a poll underscoring fears that politics will override science in the scramble to end the COVID-19 pandemic. Published September 10, 2020

Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden departs after speaking at a campaign event on manufacturing American products at UAW Region 1 headquarters in Warren, Mich., Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2020. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Biden: Trump ‘lied’ about threat of coronavirus

Joseph R. Biden pounced on the news Wednesday that President Trump purposely downplayed the threat of the coronavirus in the pandemic's early stages, calling his conduct a "life and death betrayal of the American people." Published September 9, 2020